How to Choose a Physical Therapy School?

Looking for Physical therapy schools in a particular state in the USA like (California, Texas, Alabama, NY, Washington, NC). We mention the detail of every accredited school with their entry requirements, Top ranking schools who are offering a DPT program.

How long do you have to go to school to be a physical therapist? What GPA do you need to become PT? IS GRE test required? What’s all about State License requirement, and which authority give license for practice in a particular state?

A physical therapist is one whose work falls between the frontiers of teaching professional sand medical professionals. In this article, we are going to discuss top schools with programs and entry requirements of top colleges.

They help patients improve their life by simply working through their disabilities and movement troubles (in particular) to ease their everyday activities.

In most cases, since physical therapy includes physical movement, in particular, professionals specialize in geriatrics or orthopedics.

Most Asking Questions about Physical Therapist

Before reading an article, take a quick look in these top questions.

Does Physical Therapist need a new license for each state I work in?

How long will it take before I can begin my first Physical therapist job?

How much experience do I need to become a Physical Therapist?

What are the initial requirements for getting a Physical Therapist job?

What are the Pre-requisites requirements for Schools Entry Admission?

What about the GRE Test and GPA for Physical therapy admission?

Some state must require licenses for practice like Florida, California, NYC and Texas, some states don’t need this for practice like Ohio, Kansas, and Kentucky. After completion of DPT programs and clinical hours, you can get the entry-level job in nearest hospitals, nursing care facility center and Government agencies also. Salary above $110k you can easily get after 10 years of experience in this field.

It’s most important to get a bachelor degree in science subjects like (PHARMACOLOGY, ATHLETIC INJURIES, Biology, Human Science, Anatomy, Rehabilitation Science) and having good GPA before applying to the school. Make sure your degree is accredited (CPTA), so you can apply to the DPT program. Just like GPA, GRE test is also the most important factor after-school interview.

Is Scholarship for DPT program is available in the US?

Almost every school offer a scholarship in DPT (3 years) program. On average tuition fee after financial aid is between $15,000 to $20,000 annually.

This is also what differentiates occupational therapy from physical therapy. While occupational therapy can also include mental health and autism etc., physical therapy is a particular kind of occupational therapy where experts only deal with patients who have trouble performing occupational tasks due to movement limitations.

The treatment also includes the use of customized tools such as handlebars and supports in certain calculated locations, all this contributes to ease in the patient’s life.

There are a number of physical therapy schools and programs that students can choose from.

Physical Therapy Degrees

A doctoral degree in physical therapy which is usually the most common takes about three years in completion whereas a master’s degree which is basically an entry-level education takes about 2 years in completion. These educational merits are attained after a bachelor’s degree at least.

Although most physical therapists hold a Ph.D. (doctoral) level of education, there are three different kinds of programs students can get enrolled in.

They have been listed below with details,

Start Your Physical Therapist Education

Physical therapists devise methodologies and exercises that aid the patients and help them reduce their disability in the long run. If you start PT education after high school, then I recommend you to take either admission in PTA or accelerated program. Accelerate program of physical therapy required 6 years of completion.

Master in Physical Therapy:

This is also known as a direct entry master’s program in which students gain just enough knowledge to take the exam for licensure and they can further carry on with advanced clinical practices.

But in order to work as executive level physical therapists, a doctoral is needed unless it can be circumvented by significant experience.

Doctor of Physical Therapy Degree:

Also known as a direct entry doctorate program, it is for those students who priory holds a bachelor’s degree in a field that may be one other than physical therapy.

Transitional DPT:

Every student who needs a doctorate degree doesn’t always need a bachelor’s degree in another field, for those who are already physical therapists can continue their education towards a doctorate through a transitional DPT.

A transitional DPT is for those aspirants who already hold a license in physical therapy, possibly through a master’s degree, and who want to attain a doctoral degree.

Types of Physical Therapy Programs

A master’s degree, which is an entry-level education into the field of physical therapy is the least needed education which allows professionals to take up a professional practice.

However, when choosing a program, students have a number of options, each with different pre-requisites and outlooks.

MOT:

Also known as a Master’s in occupational therapy, it is a program which allows students to directly start work as a physical therapy expert, but without a specialization.

It is meant for those students who have completed a prior education whose merits are met by successfully completing a bachelor’s degree in occupational therapy.

Transitional MOT:

A transitional MOT is also a master’s in occupational therapy which is basically meant for those students who already hold a bachelor’s degree alongside a license in occupational therapy.

The difference here is that a license in occupational therapy certifies a level of education according to state standards and the school builds on prior education towards the completion of the transitional MOT.

OTD:

The program is referred to as a Doctorate of Occupational Therapy. It is a program that is typically three years long and is a highly specialized and comprehensive program.

Students have not required to hold a license or a master’s degree in occupational therapy for enrollment into this program. A mere set a pre-requisite are required alongside a bachelor’s degree in any field is required to attain an enrollment into an OTD program.

Transitional OTD:

It is a transitional Doctor of Occupational Therapy program which enrolls students who are already practicing occupational therapists.

Needless to say, the program is less comprehensive and can be finished in about 2 years.

Top Physical Therapy Accredited Schools

The following schools offer some of the most affordable physical therapy. Here you can get details of states wise schools offering DPT Accredited programs.

It is a 3 years long program that has been ranked as the 20th best program for a Doctor in Physical therapy in the US.

It is highly practiced and evidence-based and students get to attain a comprehensive skill set in occupational therapy through it.

The average tuition fee for the DPT program is $3,814 for a semester.

Texas Women’s University

It is not only the second most affordable physical therapy program in the region but also has been ranked as the 28th best DPT throughout the US.

The school’s pre-requites include algebra and geometry alongside anatomy and other courses that are more coherent to physical therapy.

The average tuition fee of the school for the DPT program is $31,000 for students residing in Texas whereas the tuition fee for non-residents is roughly $66,000 annually.

Requirements for Physical Therapists

In order to be a physical therapist, the first thing you need to do is to gain a bachelor’s degree successfully.

After this, you can either enroll in a master’s program (for an entry-level work) or a doctorate program (for expert level work. In order to take up physical therapy as a career, you will need a doctorate degree (on the basis of professional recommendation).

Now you’ll need to find a school and see the pre-requisites of the program. This normally includes courses such as physiology and anatomy etc.

Once you have completed your doctorate (which should typically take between 2 and 3 years in completion), you can head for a license in physical therapy.

There are 50 states in the US and all of them require aspirants to hold a license before they can start practicing.

In order to attain the license, you will need to take the government certification exam for occupational therapy.

After a successful examination, you are all set to start practicing as a physical therapist. It is generally good practice to take up a few internships for an added experience which will help you land in a better job.

Accreditation

While choosing a school for physical (or occupational therapy) education, it is absolutely necessary that your school is nationally accredited.

Unless you do your degree from an accredited school, you cannot sit through the certification exam. Consequently, you cannot work in any state of the US because you need a certification for professional practice.

Therefore, license and accreditation are two important things and one does not come without the other.

Components of A Successful Career as A Physical Therapist

Before the selection of a career in the physical therapist, the foremost thing besides programs selection is your interpersonal skill, which makes you a successful therapist.

Strong

Patient

Creative

Empathetic

Without these characteristics, you can’t become a successful therapist. This’s not about education, this is your key elements which differentiate from you to others and create no of opportunities in this field.

Online Schooling vs Campus-Based

An online program is one that suits best for those people who work between study hours or have some other commitments which cause time clashes.

An online program is great for individuals in occupational therapy who are attaining higher education (postgraduate) because of the nature of education.

It is more of a practice-based education in which students require a physical demonstration to get the best out of their knowledge.

An online program essentially fails to do that at the level of bachelors.

Physical Therapy Salary and Job Outlook

In all type of therapist, the physical therapist is high in demand and highest salary getter in the US. In some state like California, Florida the figure is touch to $160k annually.

On average physical therapist does make $86,000 annually.

134,000 job employment in the year 2027, and expected 37% of growth in this field.